Vivian Strong

Shout out to Vivian Strong.

At 14-years of age, you dreamed of appearing on Omaha’s version of American Bandstand. Then your life was taken on June 24, 1969. Police Officer James Loder and his fellow deputy showed up to an empty projects apartment building to investigate an alleged robbery before pulling out his pistol and firing it in the back of your head. You were only practicing your dance moves before frantically running away in North Omaha like Walter Scott in North Charleston, South Carolina.

As a result of your murder, riots ensued in the neighborhoods of North Omaha, Nebraska, resulting in the mobilization of the Nebraska National Guard. Officer Loder was given no accountability; and ultimately, he was acquitted of manslaughter—like officer Jeronimo Yanez after his killing of Philando Castile—by an all-white jury. Loder eventually resumed his patrol duties near the precise location where he villainously took your life.

You were criminally killed at the hands of law enforcement for simply dancing while Black.

#BlackHistoryMonth™ #BHM

View This Post On Facebook